


firestarter

by justlikeswitchblades



Series: SASO 2017 [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-19 02:38:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11304012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justlikeswitchblades/pseuds/justlikeswitchblades
Summary: After a few years in the pro Quidditch leagues, his team falling short at the playoff semifinals, Tanaka's learned that it's okay to step away from it at all. He flies home to Japan--on a plane this time--and heads into the mountains, with nothing more than a backpack, his wand, and his broom at his side.





	firestarter

**Author's Note:**

> saso br1 fill prompted [here](https://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/21522.html?thread=9953298#cmt9953298) for dragon tamer noya and quidditch player tanaka!

If you asked anyone who spent more than ten seconds with Tanaka Ryuunosuke what they thought of him, the least likely word to come up would be “introvert.” Tanaka is loud; in his interactions with fans and friends, in the colorful tattoos he sports, the flickering ink of a red dragon curled around his bicep, in the plays he got famous for making, so brash and verging on stupid, though they almost always work.

But after a few years in the pro leagues, his team falling short at the playoff semifinals, he's learned that it's okay to step away from it at all, for a little while, when the offseason hits. To reflect on his game, to remember what it feels like to have solid ground beneath his feet. He flies home to Japan--on a plane this time--and after visiting his sister for a week, he heads into the mountains, with nothing more than a backpack, his wand, and his broom at his side. 

Tanaka has always felt at home in nature; the thrill-seeking aspect of Quidditch had appealed to him as a kid, but the high of being airborne--literal and emotional--is something from which he never wanted to come down. The thinner air in the mountains echoes the feeling, and he knows he could always go higher on his broom, but he's learned to be a little wiser when it comes to making stupid decisions.

That's what he tells himself, at the very least. This trail is unmarked, barren of more adventurous hikers, and steep, though Tanaka has security in knowing he'll be able to catch himself if he falls. The sun is bearing down on him with an oppressive heat, and the frost spell he's cast around himself seems to be wearing off. He thinks he knows something stronger, but he doesn't want to risk injuring himself; he may have been athletic enough to net himself a scholarship, but it's been a while since graduation.

He comes to a plateau, even footing for him to stop and get a drink of water. There's an opening in the rock, a small cavern, and Tanaka ducks inside, seeking relief in the shade. 

“Are you sure you want to head in there?”

Tanaka whips his head back around. There's a shorter man standing at the mouth of the cave in a black bodysuit, skin covered from the neck down, a streak bleached into a lock of hair that falls over his forehead. Tanaka does his best to not be seen when he's doing anything remotely magical near muggles, and that's something he's always struggled with. He doesn't think he was doing anything suspicious, but if he had to be discovered, it wouldn't take a ninja the likes of the man in front of him. 

“Uh,” Tanaka coughs. “Is there a reason why I shouldn't?”

“Well, I figured you'd be able to take care of yourself,” The man walks up to Tanaka, eyeing his broom. “But there's stuff around here that most wizards aren't equipped to deal with.

“Oh.” Tanaka sighs inwardly, feeling some of the tension dissipate in his limbs, and grins a little. “I appreciate the warning, but I gotta say, I think I'm pretty capable.”

“With muscles like that, I'm not surprised you do,” The man grins back, his eyes dropping over Tanaka’s shirtless chest. Then, he looks back up, eyes widening in recognition.

“Hey, wait a minute--”

Tanaka tries not to laugh; he braces himself for the moment.

“You're that Quidditch player!” The man makes a squawk of a noise, his eyes sparkling. “It's Tanaka, right? Man, no one from Japan has made it as big in the Euro League as you!”

“Aw,” Tanaka rubs at the back of his neck, sheepish. “Just doing my job.”

“Pretty cool job, if you ask me,” The man grins again, like it's going to make his cheeks hurt. “Though I haven't followed the sport too closely over the past few years. I don't think I remember your first name.”

“Oh, it's Ryuunosuke.”

The man nods, still smiling. “Explains the tattoo.”

Tanaka grins back. “And you?”

“Yu. Well, Nishinoya, but I can see us getting friendly if you like dragons as much as I do.” 

It takes Tanaka a second. There's something else implied in ‘getting friendly’ that he almost doesn't catch, the way Nishinoya is looking at him, not so much greedy as it is a careful appraisal. He doesn't really think of himself as a hookup kind of guy, but he has been known to lay it on thick when flirting; it's rare that he finds himself being flirted with, but right now, he doesn't want to buck against it. Because, well. That bodysuit is pretty form-fitting.

“How about Noya for now?”

“Whatever works for you.” Nishinoya’s teeth flash white in the semi-illuminated cave, and he walks ahead of Tanaka. “C’mon, Ryuu. I have something to show you.”

Tanaka follows Nishinoya, trying to stay close--he just wanted _shade_ , not the unknowns in the growing darkness-- but Nishinoya’s gloved hand keeps pushing him back. Now he's playing hard to get. 

“So, why are you dressed like that?”

Nishinoya’s laugh echoes in the dark. There's a pause, and Tanaka opens his mouth to ask again. A light sparks in front of them, fizzles out, then blossoms into a flame, a burst of orange and yellow that makes Tanaka jump back. He mumbles a _lumos_ , along with a few other choice words under his breath. The cave lights up again, more faint this time, and Nishinoya shakes his hand, smoke coming off his arm. He grins back at Tanaka.

“Keeps me from getting too crispy.”

Tanaka looks past Nishinoya, wand in hand. There's a dragon in front of them, a real life dragon; he's heard about them in magical zoos, and of course this region of the world is known for them, but it's the first time he's ever seen one before. It's a little taller than him, the light from his wand tip bouncing magenta off its scales. The dragon is thin, curled up like a lemniscate in the back of the cave, wings draped over itself, orange eye blinking in its socket.

“Holy shit,” Tanaka looks at the dragon, wide-eyed. “That's a dragon.”

“Cool, right? He's just a baby, so he's pretty friendly. Usually he's a little more feisty when he wakes up from his naps--I guess that means I'm making progress!”

Tanaka laughs, albeit a little weakly. Nishinoya’s grin widens.

“Wanna pet him?”

Tanaka balks.

“Just kidding,” Nishinoya slaps him in the middle of his back. “I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable, or anything like that.” His hand stays on Tanaka’s skin for a moment, turning him around before they walk back to the mouth of the cave.

“Man,” Tanaka sighs. “Usually I try to look cool in front of guys I want to impress.” Nishinoya snickers in the sunlight, peeling the spandex off his upper body. If anything, Tanaka can find pleasure in watching how his muscles shift.

“Hey, the day isn't over yet,” Nishinoya picks up his broom, grin still at home on his lips. “If backpacking is more your style, I won't stop you. But I've got a cabin a few kilometers away if you'd like to take a look around.”

Tanaka thinks about his hike in the mountains, yet to be resumed. The stomach-filling potions he brewed himself (quality debatable), compared to the possibility of a home-cooked meal. Shelter and a bed for an evening, maybe more--and he can't say he wants his potential bedfellow to remain a stranger. He slips his bag from his shoulder, unclipping his broom, and beams a grin back at Nishinoya.

“Count me in.”


End file.
